The fifth installment of the phenomenally successful POKEMON series takes place in a mysterious city on water. Set against a baffling maze of canals and alleyways, Ash, Pikachu, the rest of the gang take on a slick new pai... more &raquor of thieves in this glamorous, high-stakes adventure story. The film introduces two new Pokemon characters -- Latias and Latios, who possess strong psychic abilities and the power to disguise themselves as humans!&laquo less

Movie Reviews

Possibly the best Pokemon movie ever dubbed

Robert Fernandez | California, USA | 05/18/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I just saw this a few hours ago, and I must say that it was spectacular. Pokemon Heroes: Latias and Latios begins with a couple of attractive master thieves stealing a book from some sort of library, and in James Bond fashion, they leap through the window, swing down a grappling hook's rope, jump in their sweet-looking car, and hit the road at high speeds. But the cool part came when they drove off the side of a large cliff and as they plummeted downwards, their car transforms(very detailed, but quickly) into a flying machine as they zoom off into the night sky. The movie has tons of these sort of slick action scenes, which is what moves the movie forward. The story is okay, for a Pokemon movie, and isn't too predictable. Ash and Co. arrive at a beautiful city called AltoMare(which resembles Venice, complete with water canals and gondolas). After participating in a water race, Ash runs into a strange girl, and the thieves who want to kidnap her for some reason, which leads to what is the first of many chase scenes in the movie.The animation is far more advanced than the previous movies, with LOTS of computer generated imagery, and some SFX shots that are Matrix-esque. This movie is a very nice piece of eye-candy indeed(There's a scene where a flood starts to brew from afar, which sent a chill up my back). The traditional hand-drawn animation is good too, though there are many times where the characters seem to be drawn with black outlines that are a little too big. Thankfully Miramax left in the original orchestrated music, which is beautiful, mixing traditional anime orchestral pieces with Italian music. Heck, they even left in a JAPANESE song during a certain part of the movie! The movie begins with the same 'World of Pokemon' segment seen in many other places, and again they skip the mini-movie which will probably be on the DVD. Anyways, the voice acting is okay, and they didn't really change much of the movie in this English version. The opening and ending sequences has some american songs though, but they're okay. The only gripe I had was with Latias and Latios' voices; they're kinda annoying, and not what I expected.Either way, if you're a Pokemon fan, you should definitely find a theater that's playing this film and see this movie. The semi-large audience at the screening actually clapped at the film's finale, and they even stayed for the end credits!(Which has a cameo appearance of a certain Pokemon collector from the second Pokemon film) It's one of the best, and possibly the most satisfying Pokemon movie made. Besides, the movie's ending is really cute. ;)"

What An Amazing Movie!

Ash | Minnesota | 12/10/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was pretty excited for the 5th installment of the Pokemon films when it hit theaters in the US and boy was the wait worth it! This movie is awesome, the animation is detailed and beautiful, once again they use a lot of computer animation but it's blended much better than in Pokemon 4ever (the 4th film). The new characters are fun and the movie introduces you to a whole new side of Ash, because he gets a crush! How cute, huh? The story line is great, a little sad at the end, but what's a movie without strong emotions? I definatley think this movie deserves more than 5 out of 5 stars, more like 10 out of 5. It's my all time favorite and I am SO psyched for it to come out on DVD. So, if you're a diehard Pokemon fan and own all the other movies, BUY THIS ONE, and if you're a Pokemon fan all the same but don't own any of the movies, this is the one to own!"

WOW!

JK | Cincinnati, OH USA | 10/18/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This movie was quite a pleasent suprise! I have known about Pokemon ever since it started here in the U.S. I didnt really like it a ton, but this movie made me! It was just so great! The storyline was great, the picture was great....it was just overal wonderful! My Mom (I just turned 14) even said it was good (TRUST ME-That means something)!I really think the movie would've done a lot better if there were more advertisments. I found out about it by literally going onto a theater site, and seeing what was playing. Also the fact that it was only a limited release movie, that people didnt know about it.But, I hope there are commercials and previews for the Video and DVD Release. That will help a lot!Thanks so much for taking time to read my review! :)"

DVD Release BEFORE Christmas?

JK | Cincinnati, OH USA | 11/28/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ok. First off, I am a true die-hard Pokemon fan. I have loved it since I was 9. I have basically all the games, and seen all the shows.You may have noticed that there were absolutely NO advertisements when Pokemon Heroes was out in theatres. I truly think it would've done better if people knew about it!I am also disappointed at the time the movie is coming out. It was originally in the middle of December, but they decided to change it to mid January. It would've been a huge seller for the Chrismtas Season.Well, for the movie, I thought it was awesome. The storyline was great, graphics were sensational, dubbing was better than usual, everything was better (For more info, refer to my review from a few months ago)!I definitaly recommend this to every Pokemon fan out there!Thanks for taking time to read my review!
*Jonathan"

Despite Critics Reviews, this film is very enjoyable.

Rewa Marsh Schneidau | Las Vegas, Nevada USA | 05/21/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As one who owns the Japanese version of "Guardians of Altomere", I must say that I was very pleased with this production. Animation quality is right up there with the more "critically acclaimed" animated films, and while this film is no "Spirited Away", this film DOES show significant improvements over the previous films in this genre.The story is somewhat original, however, does tend to fall into the previous traps that the previous 4 have. While Ash is the centerpiece of the series and the films, less emphasis needs to be put on this character and more emphasis on the other companion characters in the series. Aside from some of the minor shortcomings in the story, the animation and the music in this film make up for this. All in all, this is a film that can be enjoyed by FAMILIES and fans young and old. A well done and very well deserving piece of work."